Breaking The Silence
by LadySedatePhobia
Summary: After realizing that life is too short, Dick Grayson decides to search for someone from his past. He expected a simple cut and dry search, but ended up with a horrific nightmare. Now he must set up a rescue mission and pick up the broken pieces of shattered innocence, provided there are any left. - Rated MA for highly disturbing adult content and serious triggers.- Trigger warning!
1. The Search

**A/N: First of all, I wasn't kidding when I said trigger warning! Some elements in this story, especially the first few chapters can be very disturbing. Please be mindful of that and remember that this story is more about healing. But before he healing can begin we must first acknowledge the wound.**

 **Second: I'm adding DC characters that weren't in Young Justice as well as OCs to mingle with the usual characters here.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"You're not leaving without telling me what happened to her." He said sternly to the man as he lifted him up by the collar of his orange jump suit.

 _This… This isn't how I expected the search to go. It was supposed to be a simple search. But I guess nothing in my life can be simple._

 _I just decided to take personal time to find someone from my past, after the Crisis I just wanted to have a quick search on my own with little to no stress. The obvious place to start was the last place I saw her. The orphanage._

 _I walked in to ask about the records. The woman at the front desk was an older lady. She'd had that job since I was there. After catching up with her for a few minutes, convincing her to give me the names of the girl's guardians wasn't hard._

" _It was nice catching up with you Dick. So what brings you here?"_

" _I'm looking for someone. I think you know who."_

" _I know. You two were so close. It's a shame you couldn't go together. But rules are rules. It's against regulation for us to allow single men to adopt children that young unless they're related. It's just too risky. Especially for the girls."_

" _I understand. But let's talk about now. Is there anything you can do to help me?"_

" _Well, she's still a minor, so I'm not sure if I should…"_

" _Please, if I just knew how to contact her guardians I could ask for their consent before making my next move. Recent events have reminded me that life is short, and you never know what could happen."_

" _Well, I suppose under the circumstances it would be understandable. I recall the couple that adopted her seemed pretty well off and quite generous. It was from their own pocket that this old building received a new roof. I can give you their names. Though I know they moved shortly after they finished the paper work. But that's all I know. I'm sorry."_

" _That's all I need. Thank you Mrs. Miller."_

 _James and Anna Johnson._

* * *

"Look man, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm in here for abducting Brittney Foster. And she's safe at home now. Probably married with a kid or two. They got me before I could do anything to her." The man said leaning back in his chair. A bold smirk painted across his face. "So can I go back to my cell now?"

"No, _James Johnson_ , you can't go back to your cell. Not before I get everything you know out of you," Nightwing responded, his fist punctuating his answer with a sharp crack upon the table.

"Who!? Who is James Johnson? That isn't _MY_ name!" He scrambled up from his seat and headed for the door "You have the wrong man! I'm out."

Catching the man by his collar, the masked detective threw him back into his seat. "I know that's not your _real_ name," Nightwing growled, leaning into the man's face. "But I know you 'adopted' five young girls under that name before you abducted Brittney. So talk."

"And? They were all orphans. I was doing them a favor getting them out of those rat traps they call orphanages. No one was going to be missing them after I got ahold of them."

"You're wrong."

 _When I got the names, I was sure my search was almost over. When in fact, it was only beginning. I went to the Batcave to search the couple, only to find that they moved to Star City. But just three months later they reported her missing. My intuition told me this was no coincidence._

 _I contacted Oliver to get the case file on her disappearance._

" _So, think you can help me out?"_

" _I see. This was ten years ago? Odd that I'm just now hearing of this. Six year old girl goes missing, the media should have been all over that."_

" _Exactly. You'd think the 'parents' would cause a bigger fuss. Candlelight vigils, news coverage, interviews… But they didn't do much more than put up a mourning act for the investigators. Beyond that, she was never registered in a school system, nor does it seem they made any attempt to update her medical files. And this couple has adopted four other children, between four and eight years old, from various agencies, all within ten years prior to adopting her. Each reported missing within two to five months after moving to a new location. None of the other girls were enrolled in school either."_

" _That's no coincidence. This may run even deeper. Who knows what could've happened to those girls... I'm sorry for your loss, Dick. The people responsible for this will pay. I'll help you out."_

" _Thanks. But don't talk like she's dead just yet."_

" _Are you sure you don't want to pass this investigation to the League? This sounds like it's getting beyond personal. You may be too close to the case to look into it rationally."_

" _If this is what I think it is, the only way any of those girls have a chance is if someone takes it personally. Besides… I know she's alive. And she needs me."_

* * *

"Nothing gets by you huh?" the inmate replied, "Look, I'd love to help you out but frankly, I don't know the girl you're looking for, been through a lot of those in my day, and used a number of different names to acquire them. It's just too hard to keep track of so many."

Grabbing the inmate by his collar, Nightwing roughly flung him into the wall. "Were they all just objects to you!? These girls were human beings! Children!"

James steadied his breathing and sighed, a sly smile returning, "Business is business. I have a number of clients, if you want to know more, you're going to have to remind me which girl it is you're looking for."

Pulling out a picture from the evidence folder, he flung it in James' direction. It was of a young girl, with dark hair and light eyes, posing provocatively, tears flowing from her eyes. The photo had been censored with black tape.

"Does _that_ jog your memory?" Nightwing snapped.

 _After Oliver and I searched the missing person file on her, we found that the case went cold early on, and remained so even with months of investigating. Then Oliver found a chilling connection to another case._

" _Wait, could this be…? Dick! Get over here, you're going to want to see this."_

" _What is it?"_

" _Look at that man in the photo."_

" _Yeah? That's James."_

" _No, it's not. His real name is Aaron Chase. He's the man behind the Foster abduction."_

" _Foster abduction?"_

" _You were just a kid when this happened. But a sixteen year old girl ran away from her home in Metropolis. During the search for her they found video surveillance of Chase walking off with her. Since the girl's mother was a minor internet celebrity, the case managed to make national news. They found the girl alive and arrested Chase. When they searched his house they found a disturbing amount of pictures. Pictures of girls younger than her, in disgusting positions. All of which were photos he took himself. Most of them were used as…"_

" _What? What were they used as?!"_

" _Advertisements… For sex slaves… The girl you showed me in that photo was one of them."_

" _If that's the case, I'm going to Metropolis to see if this Foster girl can shed some light on the situation. Thanks for your help."_

" _Dick, wait. If you're going to pursue this investigation yourself, you should at least let someone come with you, so you don't do anything you will regret."_

" _At this point… Anything I could do to this man would be far too merciful…"_

* * *

"Oh Hell no! I remember her. I'm not telling anyone _anything_ about where _she_ ended up. I value my life too much."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've already said too much. You're not getting any more ou-"

Grabbing the man by his throat, Nightwing pinned him against the wall. "We can get the information out the easy way, with you just telling me everything, or we can force it out with one of many techniques. Some of those techniques are less than pleasant… If you catch my drift."

 _I went to Metropolis to find this Brittney Foster girl. Found her in a nice suburban area, married and pregnant with her first child. At first, she was frantic. I guess showing up in the suit wasn't the best idea. But after explaining to her what I needed, she invited me in after telling her husband the situation._

" _I see, so this girl in the photo is who you're looking for?"_

" _Yes. I know it's a long shot, but while you were held captive, did you remember seeing her where you were?"_

" _Yes. She was only there for a few nights before a group of men came and took her, but I remember her. She was so little… I remember hearing her crying for someone named Dick. I tried to reach out and comfort her. Hug her. But by then she was just too traumatized. One small touch and she screamed. Cowering in a corner. I can only imagine what happened to her…"_

" _Before she was taken away, can you recall anything else that happened to her?"_

" _Well… I know Chase would often drag her into his room. And then… The day they took her away…"_

" _What happened?"_

" _She had nothing on… but a bath towel… They pulled her hair forward… and branded the back of her neck… Please don't punch a hole in my wall! We're renting this place!"_

" _W-what did they… brand… her with?"_

" _It looked… like a bird."_

" _Thank you for telling me all this. I understand that these are painful memories."_

" _No. Don't thank me. It's my fault she's still missing. I never said anything about her after I was rescued… Maybe if I_ said _something…"_

" _You can't blame yourself. You had been through so much already, you were scared. You just wanted the nightmare to end."_

" _Regardless. Just… find her. And take down the people who have her."_

" _I will."_

* * *

"O-okay, okay! I'll talk!" He choked.

"Good. Tell me _everything_ … And I'll know if you're lying."

"I sold her… to a group… They gave her a code name: Acrobat…"

"Go on…" Nightwing said, letting the man drop from his grip.

After a few hours of talking, Nightwing knew he had everything necessary to make a plan. He turned and headed for the door, pausing for a moment before spinning back around and slamming the man to the floor. He was able to unleash a few unrestrained blows before Red Arrow broke in and grabbed Nightwing's upraised fist. "You need to calm down!" he said pulling the infuriated hero outside the room, "You got everything you needed from him, there's no need to beat him to death."

"That's easy for you to say! It's not YOUR sister he did this to…" he took a breath, "How would you react if someone did this to your daughter?"

"I would hope I had a close friend like you around to keep me from killing that bastard. Look… I'm not saying this guy deserves mercy. He doesn't. But I'm not letting you throw away everything you've worked for, because of him."

He nodded. "You're right. Right now we need to focus on saving her. And all the other girls."

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 **I'd like to thank my S/O for helping me edit this! And any readers who made it to the end! You all get cookies!**


	2. The Plan

**A/N Well, took half a year, but I finally got ch 2 up! I thank everyone for waiting patiently all this time, I do have a full time job so finding time to write is difficult. You will all be rewarded with cookies! I'm sure you've all realized by now that this is a very heavy story with serious triggers.**

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Dick looked at the ranch house in front of him. There had to be at least fifty rooms on all three floors. He didn't even want to think about the attic and basement. This house had to be sitting on at least fifteen acres of land alone. This must be why that organization chose Smallville. Large private properties like this sitting alone would raise suspicion in more populated areas. Behind the house was a tall bush fence that stretched out for at least a mile, a sign in front of the bush fence said:

 _Bird Watching Garden_

He furrowed his brow thinking of what that could possibly mean, but right now he had to focus on the mission at hand.

The thought of even pretending to be one of "them" made him sick to his stomach, but that was the only way. He was going to leave no stone left unturned. He took a deep breath and walked to the door, knocking three times. It wasn't long before an older man, probably in his fifties, opened the door. "I don't think I've ever seen you around. How can I help you?" The man asked with a warm smile.

"I'm uhh… looking to buy a song bird." Dick said nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I see, you must be new to this huh?"

He nodded.

"Well son, don't be nervous. Here, you're among friends who understand you. So friend, what's your name?"

"R-Ross. Ross Allen."

"Well, why don't I just jot you down as R-A then. Now, normally the guys we get are looking for a certain bird to play with after a friend recommended it. What sort of bird are you looking for?"

"I was told about a bird named Acrobat?"

"Oh her? Well, unfortunately I can't let you have her tonight."

"Why not?"

"She's getting out of the punishment room today, she was in there for three weeks. Have to let her body rest tomorrow and she's booked for three nights after that. But I can show her to you if you like?"

"I'll see her then."

"Wonderful. Follow me then."

He led "Ross" Down the stairs, explaining the history behind the organization. Each word he feigned interest in made Dick want to vomit, but he needed to endure it for his sister. "So uhh… If I may ask, why are you so open to new people about all this?"

The man chuckled, "We have guys everywhere keeping people off our trail. And should information be leaked… Let's just say it's handled…"

"And what about my privacy? I don't want to brag, but my family is pretty big in Star City and we don't need-"

"Don't worry about that. We've got you covered."

"Good. So, is there something I can call you?"

"My clients call me Hawk. We're here."

They stopped in front of an old looking door, hearing loud squeaking and manly groans coming from the room. Dick slid his hands in his pocket to conceal his balled fists.

"Hmm, T is taking longer than usual, he's been in there for an hour." Hawk knocked on the door, coupling his knock with a booming laugh, "Hey T, if you're not out in five minutes, I'm charging you over time!"

Hawk kept time with his watch for four minutes until the man ran out, still frantically staggering into his pants. "Finally," he sighed, "Wait here R-A, I need to untie her and dress her before I can let you see."

After a few moments, Hawk walked out dragging the girl behind him.

"Isn't she hot? Five foot five, C cup, great shape! This is where we differ from everyone else. We keep our product in great condition. All for your satisfaction. And look at those green eyes. Just like emeralds. Now, want to see why we called her Acrobat?"

"I... uhh…"

"Don't be shy. Show him, girl!"

She looked at him with pure malice.

"Isn't she cute? Hey, I'll cut you deal Girlie. If you just smile and say 'Hello!' nice and loud for our guest, I'll set you free right now!"

Dick raised an eye brow. "Are you serious?"

She tightened her fists and teared up as she motioned her hands in two quick movements.

"Aww, now why would you say something like that?" Hawk laughed, "Nah, this girl hasn't said a word in three years." He turned to her, "Gonna show him or what? Or maybe you want a few more weeks in the room?"

She grimaced as she ran for the wall, jumping against it and launching herself high enough to grab the pipes on the ceiling. Pulling herself up, she balanced her body upwards using one hand, before turning a flip and landing on her feet on a different pipe. Finally, she somersaulted down finishing her landing in a split.

Hawk nudged Dick with a sickening smirk "Not bad huh? I think I'll keep her in my quarters tonight."

"Yeah, how did she learn that?"

"Oh, that? She's a circus freak. Her parents were acrobats in Haley's Circus before they bit it. I heard she had a brother just a few years older. Shame that rich shmuck got a hold of him first, I have a number of clients that would've paid top dollar for him, or hell, both of them together.

Dick's stomach turned at the thought of what he just said, if Bruce didn't adopt him when he did… No, now was certainly not the time to think about what could have been. What almost was... Then there was that phrase… Circus freak… He must have been calling her that for years. However, the most curious revelation was that she's been completely silent for so long. Why?

"So… She doesn't speak?"

"Nope. I can genuinely offer her freedom, but, she seems to have lost her voice." He laughed "But…" He said as his voice turned sour, "She had a lovely voice, no matter what we did, she refused to speak. It lost me some pretty valuable clients." He pulled the girl up by her hair, "I couldn't let that go unpunished could I?" His eyes sparkled with sadistic glee as he watched tears of pain roll down her cheek.

"I guess not…" Dick said, masking his growing rage, "Her hair looks nice. May I…?"

"Hmm? Oh sure." Hawk dropped her hair and took a few seconds to straighten it up "We'll call it a free sample."

"Cool, thanks," Dick muttered as he approached the glaring girl.

He gently pat her head twice before stroking her hair and patting her head again, finishing with a gentle flick on her forehead. That was always how he congratulated her when she perfected a technique when they were kids, he just hoped she would be able to pick up on the message he was sending her. When he pulled his hand away she looked at him quizzically for a moment, with a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. Hawk didn't notice it, but Dick did. 'Thank God, there is still hope in her eyes, after all these years it still lived. She's still a fighter,' he thought.

"So, what do you think?" Hawk asked with a smug smirk.

"I like her. How much extra to take her tonight? Just name a figure."

"Not happening. I get her tonight, then she'll recover for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and after that she has three nights away. They paid in advance and I can't go around snubbing loyal clients. You understand right?"

"Oh right. Can't just buy new returning customers I suppose. So, tell me more about the services here?"

"Well we offer a wide variety of services both on and off location…"

Dick felt his stomach grow tighter with every word Hawk said during his grand tour. He explained the purpose of every room, what girl lived in what room and why, amenities and tools offered.

As they approached the entrance, he thought about how he would set the plan in motion.

"Well, what do you think? Sold yet?"

"Very sold!" Dick said pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket, "And it's all discreet?"

Hawk grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the cash, clearly he wasn't kidding about being from an important family. "Very discreet, your privacy is our priority."

"Great. Now, I would like three of your best girls that are available for the next few nights. Then, in two weeks I'm having this party and I'll need as many girls as you can provide. Especially Miss Acrobat. She'll be the main attraction so I'll need her very well rested. Hell, I'll pay extra just for her to rest after her last scheduled appointment until my party. I want her glowing and full of life, so just do whatever it takes for that if you could."

"Well, I like and respect a man that know what he wants. I'll let you take a few girls tonight, I'll have a price for your party when you return them and I'll want seventy-five percent up front that day. Acrobat will get to rest for a week or so, so that price will be separate and I want that now when you pay for your girls tonight. Deal?"

"Deal. Just name your price."

The men worked out a price and shook hands before Dick handed over the cash. After flipping through the bills and confirming the amount, Hawk left to get the three girls he was just paid for, they looked to be fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen years old respectively.

"These girls are the best I can offer at the moment. They'll take care of your every need. Now, before you leave I'd like to discuss the age range of the girls for your party."

"Well, I'm not sure just what my guests will want so a wide variety would be nice."

"Alright then. Pleasure doing business with you." He said with a cold smile.

Their business done, Dick led the girls to his car and drove away.

After driving for a few miles into the woods he pulled over and looked to the girls as he placed his index finger over his lips "Shh" He motioned them to get out and follow him. They were walking for a few minutes before they found themselves boarding an alien space ship.

"Wh-what is…" One of the frightened girls began to ask as Dick pushed a button that was in his pocket.

"Okay guys, we're safe now to speak freely. Miss M, I'm going to need you and Canary to interview these ladies… I'll be back…" He ran back outside to the nearest bush, no longer capable of holding it in.

Roy grabbed a cold water bottle after a few minutes and found Dick leaning against a tree, holding his stomach with a pale and sickly expression on his face. "Just as you thought?" He said giving him the bottle.

"Worse..."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"She was… She was being raped when I got there. The guy was just finishing when we got to her… She's going to suffer it at least four more times…"

"Guess they wouldn't let you take her?"

Dick shook his head sadly, "No. But I bought her some time to rest before the big day…"

"Oh? How'd you do that?"

"Told him I wanted her for a party and I would pay extra if she could just rest… How are the girls I brought?"

"Well, they're terrified of that guy. But once Canary explained that they wouldn't be sent back, but rather we would be sending in doubles of them in their place, they opened up more. Zatanna is working on them as we speak."

"Good…"

"There's something else bothering you. Spill it."

"…She isn't speaking… She hasn't spoken in about three years… But she's been there for ten years so… Why is it that she suddenly was unable to speak after seven years…? What happened that was different?"

"Y-you're talking about Acrobat?" A soft, feminine voice uttered in shock.

The guys looked to the ship to find one of the girls standing at the entrance. "What are doing out here?" Roy asked.

"I was hot. I needed some fresh air. I-I swear I wasn't going any farther…"

"It's fine, don't be scared," Dick said warmly, "If I may ask, do you know what happened to make Acrobat stop speaking?"

The girl nodded sadly "I do… One of her johns broke the rules… Kept her a lot longer than usual… And as a result… She ended up pregnant… So they…. Dealt with it… By beating her…"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading all the way through! I'd like to once again thank my S/O for helping with the editing. He does so much, he's pretty amazing. Anyways, as a reward you all get cookies! (I have a treat for you guys after the next chapter!)**


	3. The Mission

**Hey, I'm sorry I left you guys high and dry for so long! My life has been so crazy lately it just feels amazing to be back at it!**

 **Between my full time job, my original fiction, and dealing with family stuff it's been rather difficult to find time to work on this. Guys I swear I really am trying to get this on track because I have so much planned for this.**

* * *

She staggered into her room and flopped on her bed, it's been such a long week for her, and she just wanted to sleep. Not even five minutes after she got on her bed she heard her door creek open. She shot a death glare in the direction of the door, she was supposed to be allowed to rest at least a few hours after that ordeal. But Hawk was a cruel man with a kind face. Of course for the right price he'll abandon what little values he has. Her glare stopped once she saw who was really at the door. It was none other than Hanna and her crew. Which only meant one thing. Someone paid for a glow. Hanna was a lovely Asian woman, aged at about 27. Back in her day johns would pay top dollar for her, then it happened… a nasty and violent john was dissatisfied with her service and scorched her pretty face. Now she's left here leading a team of other women like her to pamper the more popular girls for big events. Cruel as Hawk is, he's also quite clever. When a girl is disfigured by a john he doesn't just toss them, no he finds other uses for them so they can "earn their keep"

Hanna is so bright though, her scars can't mask that. She would much rather spend her days pampering her sisters than doing whatever some pervert wants, she even thinks that her scar was the best thing to ever happen to her. She struck Mia as the type to run, but she's never known any other life. She's been in this since she was born.

"Hello Mia. Sorry to bother you so soon after your return but, Hawk wants us to spend our entire week with you."

Mia's jaw dropped. _How much did this guy pay?!_

Hanna smiled sweetly "You're going to be the star of the show at this john's party and he wants you to shine. So that's what I'll make you do."

Mia smiled sadly. The thought of what this guy had in mind made her sick and Hanna knew it. But Hanna just wanted her to have a nice and relaxing week in spite of it. This is likely the most happiness this girl will ever know.

Mia nodded and laid down as Hanna and the others came up to her to rub her back.

 _No… One day I'll get out, and I won't get caught. Then everyone, including Hanna can escape from this. I don't know when, and I don't know how, but one day Hawk, karma will come for you._

As she laid there getting the tension rubbed away she thought back to that odd john from a week before and how he did that odd ritual with her head. _Could it be that…? No, impossible. How could he have known where to find me? It's been 10 years and Hawk is an expert at covering his tracks. But still…_ She smiled warmly _That pat, that special pat brought back so many memories from so long ago. It has to be a sign of some sort right?_

She tapped one of the girls' hand and pointed to a dry erase board on the night stand. The girl handed it to her, along with the marker that goes with it.

 **Hey sis, what do you know about the john that ordered this?**

"Hmm…. Let me see. From what Father told me…"

 _God, don't call him Father!_

"Your john-in-waiting is pretty wealthy. Apparently from some big family in Star City. He actually saw you last week and tried to get you right away, but he was denied. I think I got a glimpse of him for a moment, he was actually pretty attractive. Oh Mia! Maybe he'll buy you and keep you so you can find happiness with him!"

Mia sat up and hugged Hanna, tight. Poor girl, after everything she's been through, how can she still be so innocent?

"But Mia." She added as her tone turned serious "I had a dream when I was given the order… And I think you need to hear about it"

 _A dream huh?_

The room grew silent as Hanna spoke.

"In this dream, you left with that john alone, even though he ordered about 20 girls. After leaving, you returned in the dead of night with flaming blue wings and burned this place to the ground in white hot flames. As the place burned you guided us all to safety. Father was trapped in the flames, burning to ash, as were any johns that happened to be here…."

She seemed to almost be in a trance as she recalled her dream. As sweet and innocent as she was, she was always scary when she spoke of her dreams. Hawk never really thinks much of what she says, though all the girls have seen time and time again that her dreams always meant something big was getting ready to happen. The girls all stayed stunned, this was the most chilling dream she's ever recalled out loud.

 _Blue flames in the dead of night? What's going to happen at the end of the week?_

The other girls turned to Mia, worried. All they could imagine was Mia dying at the hands of her john, but Mia was oddly calm about it. Something about that john seemed different. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her head, the rage radiating from him with every word Hawk said. It's hard to say, but his intentions seemed… Benevolent.

 **Don't worry about me. I know that no matter what happens, I'll be fine. If anything, we should celebrate.**

The girls all looked at her even more concerned "But Mia…" One of them started "Why should we celebrate and, how can you be so sure that you'll be okay? That dream-!"

Mia held her hand out to stop her sentence.

 **Don't you know that the day I leave with him is also my birthday? It's a sign! I know it! I can feel it in my bones.**

 **Now, all that being said, can you ladies see if there's any cake?**

 _I hope I'm right… One way or another I know that after this week I will never sleep under this roof again. This is the calm before the storm, but at least I could ease my sisters' minds tonight. I want them to smile genuinely before I go. Please God… Set them all free when I'm gone._

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

 _Hold on Mia, just one more week and it'll all be over. All of it. I saw that light in your eyes that day, 10 years in a living Hell and 3 years of silence. But still, you somehow have that same light you had when we were kids. How did you do it? How hard have they tried to break you only to fail? No way was it easy. And you lost your voice in all of it didn't you? I know it hurt. And you had to go through all of that alone. I'm so sorry… How many lives have I saved since I left you? How many times have I saved the world? But still, with everything I've been able to do, everyone I was able to save… You, my own flesh and blood, I could not keep you safe from the worst monsters I've ever come face to face with. I'm sorry. I promised I would look out for you. That I would protect you. And I failed… Why did it have to happen to her? Hasn't our family been through enough already? Hasn't she been through enough already?_

Once again, Dick found himself falling to his knees in front of a much worn out punching bag.

"Dick…" Roy said walking in with a towel around his neck "We just got that last week after you destroyed the last one… Wanna talk about it? I know this has been pretty rough on you…"

"You're wrong… Compared to what those girls have been through, what she's been though… This is nothing… **ARUGHH!** How the hell could I have been so blind all these years!? Why did it take so long for me to go looking for her? Three years… THREE YEARS ROY! I could have easily done all of this before she…"

"That's enough Dick." A stern, yet soft feminine voice called out

"Dinah, just in time…" Roy sighed as she walked in

"Roy, can you give us a minute?"

"Sure."

"So…" Dick said as Roy walked out of the room "Are you here to lecture me about my anger here?"

"No, I'd be more concerned if you weren't this angry under the circumstances. I'm rather impressed that you haven't killed anyone over this. I'm here to talk to you about where your anger is pointed. Dick, none of this is your fault. You were just a kid when it happened, you had no control over the situation and you had no way of knowing what was going to happen to her."

"But I still could have looked for her sooner… If I had then maybe…"

"No Dick, three years ago you were still a teenager, and you still had no way of knowing what was happening to her."

"But I-"

"Enough Dick. When all this is over you can blame yourself all you need, even though it isn't your fault at all, but right now you need to pull yourself together for the mission. She needs you to pull yourself together. We don't have much time left. And Dick, just remember, no matter how you look at it, so many girls and young women are going to be safe soon. All because of your drive to find her and bring her home. Never forget that…"

Dick nodded as he got off his knees. She's right. As he is, he would be useless in the mission. He had to get a hold of himself. Placing blame and running through the 'what ifs' over and over again was getting nowhere.

 _Don't worry Mia. I'm coming for you…_

The whole week was tiring. There was so much that needed to be done, and choosing the heroes to participate was an ordeal on its own.

Of course Dick was the center piece of the mission. Bruce volunteered to support, and keep an eye on the over emotional Dick. Roy was also a given, for the same reasons as Bruce. Then there was Korey, who had her own experience with this type of situation and wanted to be there for Dick as well. Garfield jumped at the idea to go on this mission, he thought it would be a nice idea for someone his age helping to relate to the younger girls. Raven joined in for the same reason, as did Billy. M'gan was only ok with Garfield going if she went as well. Conner went to guard M'gan. Victor joined to help disarm any security through hacking. Clark went because all this was happening in his home town, and on top of that the whole idea made him sick. Finally Dinah was going to be there, on the side lines to evaluate each of the girls as they came in.

They had meeting after meeting discussing the plan and who was going to do what and why. By the end of the week the plan was made. Everyone knew what to do and when to do it.

It was a cold winter morning, the chill pierced through the heroes' skin like a thousand needles. It was still dark out, with the sun just barely trying to peak through. The day had finally come. December 21st.

 _Today's the day, Mia. I'm coming for you. This is the day it all ends. Happy birthday…_

* * *

 **For those of you continuing to support this, thank you guys so much, and I have a message for you all, and this may come across as preachy but I don't care because this needs to be addressed. Mia and Hanna are fictional, but there are real people who live like that. People whose cries in the night are never heard. Women, children, men, elderly folk, all living lives being sold for a variety of services. I'm not telling you to go out and rescue these people, you don't have to join any movements. But please, please understand... These real people exist, and they don't have super humans on the war path to rescue them. In fact many people don't even know they exist. But now you know. And what you do with this knowledge is up to you. I'm not trying for shock value in this tale. No, I'm trying to show people the reality of it in a way that can speak to you.**


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